Real Madrid were handed their first loss of the 2025/26 season, in the worst possible manner, as neighbours Atletico Madrid hammered them 5-2 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The hosts were off the blocks early as Robin Le Normand gave them the lead, but Real Madrid fought back to take the lead through goals from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler.
However, it all went downhill from that point on for Xabi Alonso & co., as Alexander Sorloth equalised before half-time and then Julian Alvarez put Atleti ahead with a penalty early in the second period.
The Argentine international got his brace not long after and made it 4-2 before Antoine Griezmann rubbed salt in the wounds of Real Madrid with a late goal.
Xabi Alonso reacts
It was a moment of rude awakening for Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso as their 100% win record was shattered by their rivals in a brutal manner.
Speaking to the media after the game, Alonso admitted that the team was nowhere near they should have been and that the performance was very bad.
“It was a bad match. We didn’t start well, we didn’t play well collectively, nor in terms of the quality of our play with and without the ball. We are in a rebuilding phase, today is our first defeat and this will continue,” he said.
“We have to learn from what happened, because it will surely serve us well in the future. But there are no excuses. We’re hurt, as are the fans. It was a derby and it was a deserved defeat. We weren’t… in the game, we lacked a gear… the defeat hurts.”
On whether the defeat coming in the derby hurts more, Alonso replied: “Well, yes, but it’s still a positive for the future. But yes, we didn’t start well. In the duels, in the balls into space… we were too defeatist.
“Then, with the ball, we couldn’t find solutions either. The game wasn’t flowing and well… that’s it, it was a bad game overall. A deserved defeat.”
One of the major calls made by Alonso before the game saw Jude Bellingham making his first start of the season, replacing Franco Mastantuono, despite having only played 30 minutes or so this term.
Vinicius, Real Madrid player
First defeat of the season for Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
When asked if the decision was the right one, Alonso defended the call, saying: “We need everyone and Jude is a key part of that. He was training well. We wanted players in every position, but we couldn’t get there. To be able to play in the opposition’s half.
“We’ll analyse the decisions afterwards, but we’ll learn from it. This hurts, it hurts the fans, but it’s a process of building. Today we didn’t perform at the level we should have.”
On if there were any concerns about the refereeing in today’s match, the Real Madrid boss said: “No complaints. What happened today had nothing to do with the refereeing or any particular decision. It was a deserved defeat.”
When asked what worried him most about the defeat, Alonso was blunt in his response, saying:
“We lacked intensity and focus. How to counteract better. We had an idea, but we need to evaluate it further. We didn’t compete enough. Not at the level required for these matches, against these opponents. And we’ll have to raise it.”
“I could see that we weren’t at our best and that we lacked rhythm,” he further added.
Talking about Franco Mastantuono’s angry reaction late on, when he kicked the ball into the stands, Alonso remarked:
“Well, we’re not going to make a big deal out of one detail, an explanation of what happened. But it was very clear what was going on. The explanation is that we weren’t at our best. And it has to hurt, but it has to be a pain that we use positively.”
On whether this loss can be compared to the 5-0 hammering Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid had received at the hands of Barcelona 15 years ago, Alonso replied:
“It’s what we have to deal with, I don’t want to compare, but it’s the first one we’ve had this season, a painful one and one for which we feel very responsible. We have to look ahead. We’re just getting started.”
Signing off, the Real Madrid manager said: “As part of the progress, the building process… there are tough days. How we react is what matters. We’re still in a building phase.”
Source: AS